The Cleveland Browns don’t have to take the field until September, so they have plenty of time to decide on their starting quarterback. However, every day over the next seven months, fans and analysts alike will try to guess who that person will be.
Right now, the choices are Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders or Dillon Gabriel. New head coach Todd Monken isn’t tipping his hand, so it’s up to others to figure out who has the edge.
Insider Tony Grossi recently revealed his odds for the Browns’ Week 1 starting quarterback, with Sanders as the favorite over Watson, Gabriel and an outside possibility.
“Tony Grossi’s odds for the Browns’ Week 1 starting QB: Shedeur Sanders +180; Deshaun Watson +250; Dillon Gabriel +450; Other +550,” ESPN Cleveland wrote on X.
.@TonyGrossi's odds for the Browns week 1 starting QB:
– Shedeur Sanders +180
– Deshaun Watson +250
– Dillon Gabriel +450
– Other +550Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/qOw6NoDSJS
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) February 17, 2026
Sanders ended last season with the job after taking over when Gabriel entered concussion protocol. The rookie showed some improvement over his seven starts, and the Browns won three of them, which, ironically, may have cost them the opportunity to draft Fernando Mendoza as his replacement.
Watson probably wouldn’t even be on the team if it weren’t for his onerous contract that essentially prevents him from being let go due to the salary cap ramifications. But the thinking goes, if he has to be on the roster, the Browns might as well see if he can still play coming off back-to-back season-ending injuries.
Gabriel may have lost his only chance to regain the job when Kevin Stefanski was fired. The former head coach was seen as his biggest supporter, or at least the preference to Sanders, which was made evident when Gabriel was the choice to take over after Joe Flacco was benched.
As for the “other” possibilities, the veteran market has little to offer besides free agent Malik Willis, a career backup who may be too expensive for the Browns to consider. The 2026 NFL Draft will provide little help, as there isn’t a franchise-level prospect available after Mendoza.
So, after holding a four-way competition at training camp last year, the Browns may have a three-way battle this summer, with the winner being anyone’s guess.
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